Say Yes
by eliselilyflower
Summary: Hogwarts AU. The Yule Ball is fast approaching, and while Percy is shocked by the hordes of suitors that flood Annabeth, Leo is equally shocked by Reyna's lack of suitors. Both intend to do something to change that. Oneshot. Rated T for language.


**Rated T for some words that I don't normally use, but I felt were in character for the situation. I'm not entirely sure I like how serious this turned out, but I wanted to do something Yule Ball-y, and I really do love Leyna and Percabeth.**

 **Anyway, I want to apologize for any mistakes I make in my Spanish—I'm not exactly a native speaker, but I spoke it when I was very little so I used that knowledge for this fic. It probably wasn't the wisest idea to use my three-year-old self's knowledge, but whatever.**

 **Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns everything Percy Jackson, J. K. Rowling owns everything Harry Potter, and Disney owns Frozen and my (Leo's) Elsa reference. I only own the plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

…

Leo was having a great day until dinner came along.

Even on normal days, dinner is Leo's least favorite meal. It's always the most formal meal, meaning everyone has to be in full uniform (Leo really hates his gold-and-red tie), they all must be in the dining hall promptly at the correct time (why should he eat at seven when he could be sleeping?), and the tables can't mix Houses. Leo prefers breakfast because their whole gang always sits at the Gryffindor table and nobody ever bothers them about it. The way the teachers and prefects talk about mixing Houses, Leo would think Voldemort is trying to eat breakfast with him.

But this dinner turns out to be even worse than normal.

At first, everything seems ordinary. Percy eats a mountain of food at the Gryffindor table that is taller than Hazel sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Percy tries to convince Piper to eat meat, but Piper says it's disgusting and then they get into a heated debate about poultry. Leo pretends he's the least insane person at the table.

(He's not.)

But then a few minutes before what they all call "Annabeth's calculated dessert arrival time" (Annabeth has calculated the specific time when dessert arrives every day), Dumbledore gets up and magically amplifies his voice to make an announcement.

Leo zones out, because that is his way of acknowledging that an authority figure is speaking. But when he sees the panicked look on Percy's face, he decides to start listening.

"…will repeat the announcement once more." Dumbledore smiles, almost as if he knows Leo only just started paying attention. "Two weeks from today, Hogwarts will be hosting the Yule Ball at seven in the evening in the Great Hall. Formal attire is required, and food will be provided. For more information, ask any staff member. Thank you."

The moment the elderly wizard has finished speaking, Jason jumps up from his seat at the Ravenclaw table, grabs a chocolate ring from the dessert platter (it arrived on time), and heads over to the Gryffindor table.

When he gets down on one knee before Piper, the entire hall goes silent.

Piper looks like she is about to burst when Jason says, "Piper McLean, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

She gulps audibly, then gives a quick nod.

The hall goes wild.

Everyone is hooting and whooping and making the most ridiculous noises known to mankind as Jason slides the chocolate onto Piper's ring finger. Piper blushes a pretty shade of pink as she and Jason stand up and bow to the crowd. Leo would join in giving his friends a standing ovation if the idea of the Yule Ball didn't make him nauseous.

Percy meets Leo's eyes, and he realizes Percy looks just as petrified as he feels. They both inconspicuously slip out of the hall to escape the din.

"Fuck," Percy says the moment they are outside the hall. "Fucking _shit_."

Leo scowls. "I hate Jason," he says, knowing full well that every word of his statement is a lie. "He's always been such a _fucking_ overachiever."

Maybe that last sentence isn't such a lie.

"How am I supposed to do this?" Percy asks desperately, his voice going quiet, and Leo instantly knows exactly who he's talking about. "How am I supposed to ask her?"

Leo shrugs. "You two are best friends. You should know how she wants to be asked."

Percy shoots him an uncharacteristically surly glare. "But what if she doesn't want to go with me?"

"Then she'll either reject you out flat or say yes just to be nice and you'll get to go with the girl of your dreams," Leo pauses. "But she doesn't strike me as a person who likes being nice."

Percy lets out a harsh breath. "So she's going to reject me and decide to never be my best friend again."

"I don't think she could survive without being your best friend."

"I'll be fucking _friend-zoned_!"

"Well—"

"So I'm basically doomed!"

Leo snorts. "No shit, Sherlock."

Percy shoots him a sharp glance. "Thanks a lot."

Leo sighs. "She might want to go with you. Just ask her first, and worry about what she'll say later."

Percy considers this grimly before changing the subject. "Who are you planning on asking?"

Leo's sullen mood turns even darker. "Who do you think?"

Percy doesn't say anything for a while, and they walk in silence until he finally speaks up. "This might not sound helpful, but I think you guys would be perfect for each other. It's kind of the opposites attract theory, you know?"

This time Leo is the one who scowls. "Perfect, my ass. She used to like Jason, remember? That means she likes people who are similar to her. I'm _nothing_ like her."

They stop when they reach the Fat Lady's portrait, but Leo continues talking. "I'm not a clever Ravenclaw, master of spells and all that shit. I'm dumb as fuck. I can't do anything."

Percy pauses. "You can do stuff."

Leo snorts again—this Yule Ball business is morphing them into ugly monsters. "Like what?"

"You're a badass builder," Percy points out. Leo tries to interrupt, but Percy won't let him. "You're surprisingly good at fire spells, and you know a lot of Muggle Studies stuff."

Leo opens his mouth to respond, but the Fat Lady decides to cut in sassily instead. "May I help you?" she sneers.

"Peppermint licorice," Percy informs her, and when she swings open to reveal the common room, they both head inside. "Just try not to think about it, yeah?"

Leo nods mutely. "You too."

They both go to bed before the sun sets.

…

The next morning, Percy is stuffing his face with sausage and egg to relieve his Yule Ball stress when Annabeth plops into the seat beside him with a newspaper. He should probably be embarrassed that she is seeing him like this, but they've been best friends so long that she doesn't even spare him a second glance as she starts on her orange juice.

Percy's mind immediately gears into overdrive, convincing himself to just wing it and ask her. He has just gathered the courage and is about to swallow his last gulp of pumpkin juice when—

"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

 _Fuck_.

Everyone looks up to see a blond boy that no one recognizes standing behind Annabeth. She gently sets down her newspaper and smoothes out the wrinkles before turning to the boy and simply replying, "No thanks, sorry."

The boy nods and walks off.

Annabeth calmly turns back to her newspaper and sips some orange juice, oblivious to the shocked, gaping stares of everyone in the hall.

Percy takes a large swig of pumpkin juice, all his newfound courage evaporating.

…

Leo loves Muggle Studies, he really does, but Professor Burbage makes it really hard to enjoy the class.

She is currently talking about some partner project she wants them do to about Muggle transportation and Leo swears even Professor Binns's class is less yawn-invoking than this. Leo decides that paying attention is a waste of his time and focuses on staring at glossy ripples of black hair, part of the perfection that is Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. The angle of his seat gives him absolutely no sight of anything except her luscious hair and sculpted shoulders. Even without seeing her face, he knows what she is probably doing. He knows that she nibbles her bottom lip while scribbling frantic notes in class, and whenever she reads a textbook, her slight frown creates the most adorable dips in her otherwise smooth skin. Her movements are always as sleek and regal as a royal cat. She is an ice queen, like Elsa from the Muggle masterpiece Frozen. Except Elsa would probably acknowledge his existence more than Reyna does.

(He had to watch Frozen for Muggle Studies, don't judge.)

Leo is contemplating whether Reyna sings like a Disney princess or if she even sings at all when he hears Professor Burbage say, "…Leo and Reyna's project will be about automobiles and their functions, and…"

Reyna spins around to spare him a disdainful glance, and the moment Professor Burbage shuts her mouth, she haughtily strolls over to his desk. He notices she doesn't look as irate as she usually does, so he figures it's his lucky day.

" _Hola, mi reina_ ," Leo says cheerfully, the rolling, fluid Spanish words complemented by a charming smile. For a moment he thinks he sees something flicker in Reyna's eyes. He knows she speaks Spanish and it is purely coincidental that her name means queen in Spanish, so he is the only person in their friend group that doesn't call her Rey.

Of course, he's also the only person in their friend group that she doesn't like, so he's learned not to feel too special.

"We have a project to work on, Valdez," she speaks at him more than to him. "Do you have any idea what an automobile is? Because I've never even heard of one."

For a moment, he's actually more distracted by the thought of automobiles than the thought of her. "Fuck, yeah, I love automobiles! I was actually researching them the other day and since I know the anatomy of one, I was thinking maybe I could build it and…" he continues to ramble about his daydream, eyes lighting up with excitement, but Reyna quickly stops him with a mildly shocked look.

"You could build an automobile?" she sounds surprised, and Leo realizes he probably doesn't seem like a smart person who could do things like that.

"Yeah," he dismisses it quickly, "it's really not that hard, but—"

Reyna interrupts again, looking awed. "That's incredible."

Leo falters. "It is?"

She nods, and the movement is swift and precise. Like her, he notices. "I've always been awful at building things, so I probably won't be much help—"

Leo's heart sinks as he realizes she is probably using flattery to get him to do all the work. He would do anything for her, but sometimes he wishes he wouldn't.

"—but of course I could always ask Annabeth for help designing one, and then once it's built I could help you paint it and—"

Leo's face lights up at this. "You would do that for me?"

Reyna gives him a mildly weird look. "Of course, it's a partner project. I have to do something."

Leo is stunned. "You want to spend time with _me_?!"

An amused smile crosses Reyna's lips. "Don't let it get to your head, I'm only doing it for the project." She doesn't sound too serious and he swears the she is still smiling when she walks back to her own table. "We'll meet tomorrow at seven in the library to get started, yeah?"

He may or may not daydream about her the rest of the day.

…

That evening, the whole gang crams into the Gryffindor common room to chat about, because they all apparently hate Leo, the Yule Ball. Percy is on the floor, leaning on a table in front of the fire as Annabeth's head lies in his lap and he absentmindedly plays with her hair. Her body lies on the worn rug so that her feet are piled onto Hazel's lap, and her eyes are glazed over as she flips through a fashion magazine Piper forced upon her. Hazel and Frank are huddled together, pressed against the foot of the sofa where Piper and Jason are snuggled. Reyna occupies the pouf in front of Leo's armchair with her feet cross up on his armrests, but he figures she's only near him because she has to be. He refuses to read into it too much and gain false hope.

"Are we even allowed to be here?" Jason wonders aloud. "This is the Gryffindor common room, not the Gryffindor-and-friends common room."

Frank shrugs. "Nobody really cares."

Leo leans over to ruffle Jason's impeccable blond hair. "You little goody two-shoes," he teases, and Reyna laughs.

Jason scowls. "Fuck off," he snaps, but he doesn't really mean it.

"It's true, though," Piper hums along tunelessly as she tosses Annabeth another magazine to flip through. "Nobody cares about some shitty rules."

The magazine nails Annabeth on the stomach and she immediately lets out a groan. "Piper!"

"Hmm?" Piper attempts to act innocent.

Hazel laughs at her lame attempt.

Annabeth pushes her head up off Percy's lap with her forearms. "Why do I need so many magazines to find dress robes for the Yule Ball?"

"Because you haven't picked out your robes yet," Piper replied simply.

Reyna shoots her an odd look. "How have you picked yours out already? We only found out yesterday."

Piper instantly makes a face. "Somehow my mom got wind of the Yule Ball before the year even started, so she bought about fifty different dress robes for me to wear. I actually managed to find something somewhat decent in the collection, and I'm going to mess with it using some scissors and string until I like it."

"Ooh, what does it look like?" Hazel coos. Frank, not sure he has anything to contribute to the conversation, picks up a few strands of Hazel's hair and tries to play with it. He soon discovers that hair is not the most versatile toy in the world.

Leo buries his face in his hands, not wanting to hear girl talk about dresses. Annabeth shoots him a look that clearly says she agrees with him, but Piper just laughs at their reactions. "It's violet, and kind of tight but really cute. I'll show it to you—I'm sure it's around here somewhere." Piper daintily plucks a sheaf of glossy papers from a stack and peels through it.

"Hazel, what does yours look like?" Annabeth lazily swats the pages of the magazine before closing it with a sigh. "I need some inspiration, since clearly Piper will not let me go in my uniform robes."

"No!" Piper yelps, causing everybody to jump. "Absolutely not."

"Has anyone here been asked to the ball?" Reyna leans back onto her pouf, splaying her arms to the sides. "Besides Piper and Jason, I mean. I think everyone in the school witnessed that proposal."

Jason's face promptly turns a plum shade of purple, and everybody laughs. "It wasn't a proposal!"

Piper laughs before stretching over to peck him on the cheek. "It was sweet."

"Thank you," Jason pouts as his back slowly slumps down the sofa.

"Frank and Hazel are going together," Leo points out.

Percy wolf-whistles as the rest of them cheer. Frank and Hazel both go red, smiling.

"And that random boy asked Annabeth at breakfast this morning," Jason reminds everyone.

"Oh yeah," Percy sounds thoroughly irritated, his good mood evaporating. "Who does he think he is?"

"He and I have Arithmancy together," Annabeth remarks idly. "Actually, he wasn't the first. Roger Davies asked me after dinner yesterday and Cedric Diggory asked me in Muggle Studies today."

Everyone is momentarily stunned by this new slice of information.

"What did you say?" Piper prompts her impatiently, leaning forward to better hear the gossip. Leo is the only one who notices Reyna's face go ashen, but he dismisses it because he too wants to hear what happened.

"I said no, of course," Annabeth gave her a sharp look as if to say _what did you think?_ before allowing a small smile. "I told them I already have a date, but I don't. So if you know any nice guys looking for a date, _please_ let me know."

Everyone strictly avoids looking at Percy.

Frank is the one to finally change the subject. "I thought Cedric was dating Cho."

"He's not anymore, they broke up two days ago," Leo promptly informs him.

Piper chuckles at Leo's instantaneous response. "How do you know that, are you planning on asking Cho to the ball?"

At the thought of asking someone to the ball, Leo's face flames. All of a sudden, Reyna seems very interested in the carpet and all Leo wants to do is curl up into a ball and hide. Or kiss her, you know, whatever.

Piper takes his face's change in color the wrong way. "Oh!—er, were you actually planning on asking her? Because if so, that's really not a bad—"

Percy laughs at her hesitation. "Don't worry, Pipes, he's not actually asking her."

Reyna almost looks relieved, but Leo isn't sure if it's just his imagination.

"Who are you asking?" Frank wants to know.

Since apparently Leo has gone temporarily mute, Percy answers for him, "You'll find out."

"What is she like?" Hazel asks him sweetly.

All eyes turn to him, but Leo is too busy thinking about her to notice. He wants more than anything to scream that she's sitting on the pouf in front of him, but he figures that might not be a very attractive way to ask someone to the Yule Ball. "She's… perfect, I mean she's beautiful and smart and clever and amazing and—"

Annabeth can sense that he's about to say something he probably should not, because she quickly cuts him off. "Leo, Leo. I'm flattered you're trying to ask me to the Yule Ball—truly, I am!—but unfortunately I already have a date."

Everyone laughs.

Despite the fact that Leo laughed, Annabeth can tell that he took her response as an implication that Reyna would say no. "Seriously though, Leo, she'll say yes. I know she will."

When Leo eyes her suspiciously, she realizes she spoke with too much conviction. "Did Percy tell you?"

Immediately, Percy shoots up from his slouched position against the table. "No—of course not!" he places a hand over his wounded heart. "I'm offended that you would think that!"

Leo looks dubiously to Annabeth. "He didn't tell me," she assures him, "but I think I know who it is."

He grumbles, embarrassed.

Annabeth just laughs. "Leo, you should be happy I know who it is, because now I can tell you honestly that I really think she'll say yes."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Leo scowls.

"I never say anything to make anyone feel better."

"She really doesn't," Percy agrees. "I would know."

Annabeth smacks his shoulder.

"At least you don't have anything to worry about," Leo sighs mournfully. "Not all of us have hordes of suitors flocking us."

Suddenly, Reyna excuses herself to get more butterbeer, and Leo can practically feel her tension.

He remembers she had been upset not too long before, and figures it has something to do with Annabeth's suitors. He sees Piper nudging her head in Reyna's direction and internally groans. Of course Piper knows too.

He slowly drags himself up out of his cozy armchair and heads toward where Reyna is pouring herself more butterbeer while pretending to be emotionally stable. He can hear soft murmurs behind them and figures that Piper is announcing his secret to the world. He isn't concerned, though, because he cares more about the person standing in front of him.

"Hey," he whispers, and her head jerks toward him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she is glancing down too often and her voice is too raspy for her to be telling the truth. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you," he responds quietly. She looks like she wants to argue, so he continues. "You were acting different when Annabeth first mentioned all those guys asking her, so don't pretend you're fine. What happened?"

Reyna sighs and, setting her glass down onto the table before her, she turns so that her face is bathed in moonlight. From this angle he can see her regally carved features and smooth, sharp jaw. He has never yearned to be an artist before, but he desperately wants to capture her radiant beauty in this one simple moment.

"It's stupid, really," she says finally, and Leo is caught off guard by the fact that she's actually responding to his question. "I guess it just bothers me that no one has asked me to the ball. And I know it's really dumb, but at first I thought it might be because I'm too nerdy or whatever. But Annabeth had two handsome boys ask her, so it kind of made me think…"

Leo feels a pang of sympathy for her and he would be irritated at all the guys in the world for being idiots if he wasn't so glad she hadn't been taken yet. He knows why they aren't asking her, because she's scary and intimidating and beautiful and fifty billion other reasons, but he can't tell her she's scary and he definitely can't say she's beautiful. "You're not nerdy," he forcefully replies. "Just… try not to worry about it. It's only been a day since the announcement."

"I know," Reyna turns to him, a small smile playing on her lips. "And I told you it was stupid."

Leo huffs dramatically and pushes himself around so his back is leaning against the table. "Well, whatever. I'm sure at least one person is going to ask you to the Yule Ball. And having one great person ask you is better than hundreds of awful people ask you, right?"

"I guess."

She pauses and looks down before murmuring, "I just hope that one person is the right person."

Of course. She has a specific person in mind.

"Yeah," Leo turns away and mutters under his breath, "I hope so too."

For once, Leo doesn't feel the need to say anything else and neither does she, so they stand in companionable silence for a while. It's peaceful, sipping their drinks and watching their friends laugh and chat together. Finally, Hazel waves them over to play a game of Exploding Snap. It's obvious that Reyna feels better because when they head over to that area, she immediately joins in with the laughter and chatter. Leo's just happy that Reyna's happy.

"So, Leo," Annabeth addresses him over the din with a smile on her face. "How's the car project for Muggle Studies?"

Reyna, hearing this, frowns. "I thought our project was about automobiles."

Annabeth laughs, and Leo can hear pure humor in her voice when she says, "Cars are automobiles."

It takes a moment for Leo to fully comprehend the impact of what she is saying, but the moment he understands, he slaps himself on the forehead. He has been struggling for the past _three weeks_ to understand why the word _car_ keeps popping up in his automobile building instructions. "I am such a fucking idiot—it all makes sense! Why didn't I think of it earlier?"

With jubilant laughter and happy chatter in the background, Reyna watches him with something akin to admiration.

A few things have started making sense to her, too.

…

Annabeth should've realized earlier that bookshelves make excruciating backrests.

Sensing her discomfort, Percy hands her a Gryffindor blanket without looking up from his book.

They are sitting in an aisle of the library, leaning against the bookshelves as they do homework together. This is a tradition of theirs and they have been doing it for years, which is why is stuns Annabeth that they have never noticed the discomfort of the situation prior to today. Or maybe she just never noticed it because on all other occasions she was actually doing homework instead of pretending not to check out the handsome guy across from her.

Annabeth mentally curses herself for thinking about him again.

She really shouldn't be checking out her best friend, because that is wrong on so many levels. Of course he's attractive—anyone with eyes can see that—but she is most definitely not in love with him because they are so close that he is practically her brother. They know each other inside out, and she wouldn't want to ruin the amazing friendship they already have.

Her eyes catch onto Percy and she has to quash a dreamy sigh. He is frenetically scribbling on some parchment, and his hand is angled just so that she gets a peek of his creamy, smooth forearm. The ink is blotting, and some of it smears onto the corners of his large, strong hands that dwarf hers when he holds it.

(No, her heart doesn't skip a beat when he holds her hand. Shut up.)

She notices a spot of ink on the sleeve of his white button down shirt and instantly knows she's in trouble, because once she starts thinking about his arms, she can never stop. It's not really the fact that he rolls up his sleeves so that she gets a glimpse of the tanned skin stretched over defined muscles, because honestly his physical beauty cannot possibly encompass his inner beauty. What lures her in every time is the memory of those strong, safe arms crushing her in an impossibly warm hug.

Percy is all about hugs.

He offhandedly gives them all the time, not noticing their effect on her. He'll wrap an arm around her gently every time he sees her, just to make sure she knows he cares. When she's furious or depressed and needs someone to vent to, he'll put his arms around her waist and press a kiss to her hair. He gives hello hugs, goodbye hugs, and I'm-so-proud-you-aced-that-test-even-though-everyone-knew-you-would hugs, and each hug is perfect for the occasion.

Annabeth thinks she's in love with Percy's hugs.

She abruptly decides that she needs a nice, thick Arithmancy book to distract her from Percy. If it can't convince her to do her homework, at least it'll be heavy enough to knock some sense into her.

She stands up clumsily, not remembering the things that are on her lap until some books tumble to the ground and pound onto her feet. Percy is immediately there to help, shoving the books away. But since she needs to get away from him and just think for a minute, she ignores his actions and heads to the far end of the shelf.

She spends at least ten good minutes searching for the right Arithmancy book, and it's just her luck that when she finds it, it's one shelf too high for her to reach. She tries to stand on the tips of her toes, but her fingers just barely brush the shelf of the book and there is no way she will be able to reach the book.

She feels a gentle touch on the small of her back and instinctively flinches. Percy has gotten up and pulls her hand down so that he can reach the book. He wordlessly swipes it from the shelf and, pressing a kiss to her hair, takes it with him back to the spot where they were sitting. He only hands her the book once she is safely seated, because apparently she cannot be trusted to carry a book without his help.

A chilly draft passes over them and before Annabeth can even shiver, Percy is nudging the blanket he had given her moments ago. She pulls it over her small frame, inhaling the scent of chocolate and cookies. Percy always smells like homemade baked goods. It is one of the things she loves about him.

No.

She does not love him.

When his green eyes flicker up to her, filled with mischief, and the corners of his mouth quirk up, she most certainly does not love it. And she doesn't love the dimples that stain his cheeks when he smiles at her just then before nudging her foot in a very challenging manner.

Annabeth has never been one to back down from a challenge and soon she finds herself in playing footsies in a very battle-like manner. And when he grabs her torso and tickles her, she declares a full-fledged war and attacks him. Even after she's finished smacking his arms and chest as retribution, they don't stop laughing for a full ten minutes.

 _Fuck_.

She's in love with Percy Jackson.

…

Reyna should've known Leo would set the tires on fire.

He's always had a knack for fire-related spells, and it isn't the easiest feat to lift a stack of rubber tires to a car twenty feet away. So she really shouldn't have been surprised that his wand started jetting fire the moment she accidentally stepped on his foot.

The only thing Reyna thinks for the next five minutes is: _Aguamenti!_ Halfway through this spiel, she begins to consider the word a cuss word.

Once Reyna can't pick out the scent of burning rubber any longer, she leans back against their automobile (actually, apparently it's a car), panting heavily.

Leo slumps down next to her and an apology is at the tip of her tongue when he says, " _Lo siento, mi reina_. I'm so sorry."

She is so caught off guard that her apology dies in her throat.

Leo spots the nostalgic look on her face and immediately jumps to the conclusion that he has offended her. " _Mi reina_ —that is, Reyna—I'm so sorry, did I—?"

"No," Reyna rushes to assure him, because now she just feels guilty for the guilt she is causing him. "It's just that… I used to speak Spanish when I was little, but no one really speaks it around me anymore. It's been a while since I've heard it."

"Oh," he pauses, frowning slightly. "If you don't want me to—"

"No, it's fine," Reyna repeats. "Really, I like it. The Spanish, I mean." She would never admit to liking the nickname.

Leo salutes her with an impish grin. "Of course, _mi reina_."

She grins back, glad to know that he's back to normal. "Come on, now. Back to work."

For a while she lifts heavy things and carries them to him as he tinkers with screwdrivers and somehow manages to fit the sleek metal puzzle together. Now their car is beginning to resemble the Muggle creation, and Reyna couldn't be prouder.

Once Leo has put in place a glossy black thing he calls the hood, he sets down the screwdriver and leans back to rest. "It's almost done," he informs her between labored breaths. "If you want, I can try to paint something on the hood. If we add some decorations, it'll look really nice."

Reyna hums for a moment. "I like dogs," she comments, "so maybe if you could paint a little puppy on the hood… that would be cute."

Leo is immensely surprised—he actually has something in common with her. "You like dogs?" he inquires.

She nods. "I've always loved dogs. They're so loyal and fun to be with, you know what I mean?"

Leo watches her, the ice queen who doesn't seem so icy anymore. "Yeah, I know." He gets up off the car and lets out a sigh. "I'll see what I can do. Back to work, yeah?"

She nods again and they go back to work.

When Leo goes back to the common room, he mulls over the things she told him.

…

Later that night, once everyone else has gone to bed, Percy and Annabeth lay silently in the Gryffindor common room. He sits on a long armchair, and Annabeth's head is in his lap as she stretches out on the armchair. He has one hand buried in her blond curls absentmindedly and is doodling on some parchment with the other. He tells her he is working on that pesky Potions essay, but they both know she doesn't believe him.

She sighs contentedly, listening to the scratch of Percy's quill on paper and the whip of the flames in the hearth. She wants to ask him what he's doodling, but the question that has been plaguing her the whole day slips out instead.

"Has anyone asked you to the Yule Ball?"

She can vaguely feel Percy shift in surprise, but doesn't dare to look at him. Her face is heating up, and she turns her head away from him so he won't see.

"Yeah," he responds quietly after a few minutes. "A few."

Annabeth goes quiet as well. Finally, she softly speaks up. "Did you say yes to any of them?"

Percy smiles gently, and she can sense it without turning to look at him. "No."

"Oh." All she can think of right now is how easy it would be to just ask him to the Yule Ball, and she actually turns her head to do so. But when she does, she sees an angel with a halo of messy black hair, soft green eyes flickering across his scroll as he sketches. His face basks in the gentle glow of the flames, revealing his smoothly tanned skin. He scribbles something on the paper, and she can tell whatever it is surprises him when his pink lips part delicately and his eyebrows lift slightly. His chin dimples as he frowns, and she watches his perfect ski-jump nose.

All of a sudden, she realizes that she most definitely cannot ask him because just looking at him has consumed all her energy. Her eyelids are so heavy that it is taking a substantial amount of effort to keep them open, and they droop against her will. She snuggles closer into his lap and can feel fatigue luring her into sleep.

The last thing she remembers is Percy wrapping a gentle arm around her torso and her legs and softly lifting her off the sofa.

She wakes up in Percy's bed and rumbling snores tell her he is sleeping on the floor below her.

…

Reyna is running late.

Literally.

She is sprinting faster than she has ever sprinted, and she gulps breaths of harsh air swifter than a professional track runner. It is already five minutes past the time she and Leo agreed to meet, but since she usually arrives there ten minutes early, she considers herself fifteen minutes late.

She rushes into the shifty shack where she and Leo have been building their car and drops her bag onto a chair before heading into the main room. "Leo, I'm so sorry I'm—"

She stops abruptly.

Wooden shutters close over the windows, but the soft glow of candlelight flickers through the darkness. Candles are everywhere, she notices. They dot the ground and cover every surface of every box in sight and on top of the car they…

She slowly walks up to the car.

On top of the car are perched two metal puppies, one gold and one silver. Upon closer inspection, she notices that their collars say Aurum and Argentum. Gold and Silver.

She turns to him, stammering, "What—what's this?"

Then she notices that his untamable curls have been combed, and his uniform is straight and neat. He looks like a hyperactive elf in an unfamiliar uniform, and Reyna thinks she has never seen anything more beautiful in her life. He anxiously leans over to tap the dogs' noses with his wand, and they immediately start barking. It takes a second for Reyna to understand the message they are trying to convey, but when she does, she is suddenly on the verge of tears.

Because Leo Valdez is asking her to the Yule Ball… in Spanish.

Reyna is so overwhelmed that all she can do is nod.

A huge smile breaks out on Leo's face—as if he thought she might say _no_ —and she attacks him with a huge hug.

So what if she doesn't have hundreds of suitors? She has one perfect guy, and that is more than enough.

…

Percy is trying to work on his Potions essay—really, he is—but he finds it hard to focus with the love of his life sitting across from him.

He and Annabeth are in the library, studying like they always do. At least, Annabeth always studies. Percy usually studies Annabeth.

She is wearing a worn navy Ravenclaw sweater. It dwarfs over her petite frame, and the sleeves are so long that only her fingertips peek out. Her cute little button nose is tinged pink from the cold, and a thick fringe of dark lashes frame her eyes. Soft blonde ringlets brush her soft cheeks and the tops of her shoulders.

She is perfect.

He sighs and rifles through his Potions notes, because if he does not finish this essay, Professor Snape has vowed to murder him. He is trying to find any notes about gillyweed when he finds a scrap of parchment that brings his rifling to an abrupt stop.

It is the sketch he had drawn the evening before, when Annabeth asked him if he had been invited to the Yule Ball.

Annabeth had been lying on his lap and the way her features glowed in the light of the flames was too beautiful not to sketch. But only when he finished drawing did he realize that he hadn't just drawn her lying there. He had drawn her—

"Fuck," he mutters, then louder, " _Fuck_."

"Do you need help?" Annabeth asks.

Percy quickly looks up from the sketch. "Um, not really. I think I got it."

Annabeth snorts fondly, because she knows full well that he needs her help. She scoots over to sit next to him so she can help him look through his Potions notes.

And she sees the sketch.

Percy freezes.

Her eyes remain fixed firmly on the scrap of parchment as her hand reaches out to take it from him. Her pink lips part and her eyebrows dip slightly into a focused frown as her gray eyes dart over the sketch.

The sketch is simple and breathtaking, Percy must admit. Her features are drawn with elegant, inky strokes to precise perfection. Everything from the curve of her cheekbones to the line of her lashes is exact. There is not a single flaw in that drawing.

Except that in the sketch, she is pressing a soft, chaste kiss to his lips.

She finally looks up, and Percy can see thick emotions swirling in her eyes. His heart skips. "I'll…" he sighs heavily, blinking idiotic tears from his eyes. "I'll just go."

He makes a move to get up, but Annabeth's tug on his hand prevents him. He is looking at her in surprise when she kisses him, exactly mirroring the kiss in the sketch.

Pure happiness floods through him, and he does the first think he can think of doing: he pulls her into a massive bear hug. He can feel her laughing against his chest, and he instantly feels a rush of affection for this girl who makes him so much better. He laughs too, a deep rumbling sound that reverberates throughout his whole body and makes him feel alive.

They stay like that for a while, just enjoying each other's presence.

So he's not really sure if she just agreed to go to the Yule Ball with him, but he figures he'll find out later.

(They do.)


End file.
